Manhattan and Queens Students Study the Ecological Health of the East River as Part of “A Day in the Life of the Hudson & Harbor” Event
October 24, 2019
Students Gather at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City to Collect Water Samples and Document the Health of the Harbor
Photos of the Event are Available on DEP’s Flickr Page
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Tuesday sponsored more than 50 public school students who participated in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) “A Day in the Life of the Hudson & Harbor” educational event. The young New Yorkers, chemistry students from Vanguard High School in Manhattan and 7th graders from Hunter’s Point Community Middle School in Queens, participated in the event during which teams collected and analyzed water samples and made environmental observations along the East River, at Gantry Plaza State Park. Students used field techniques to track the river’s tides and currents, examined the water’s chemistry, identified macroinvertebrates and fish, and observed oyster colonies.
“New York Harbor is a critical part of the Hudson River estuary and over the last decade DEP has invested more than $10 billion to improve water quality and restore wetlands and adjacent grasslands, helping to bring back native fish populations and allow for greater recreational use,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “We’re proud to partner with DEC to bring this valuable program to thousands of young New Yorkers and to inspire stewards who will ensure that future generations can enjoy all the Hudson River has to offer.”
During the event, five stations were set up where students were able to measure the river’s currents and perform tests to determine the level of turbidity, pH, salinity and dissolved oxygen in the water. The high school students led stations and taught the 7th graders how to properly measure water quality. The middle school students then taught their high school partners the techniques they use to clean and monitor the oysters they are raising in the East River. The students were supervised by science teachers from their schools and DEP staff. DEP supplied the equipment for the event, including lab materials to investigate aquatic life, water chemistry and quality, tides and weather. Through this model, these middle school students will become the facilitators the following day and lead their entire seventh grade through the same sampling stations. The data collected by the approximately 5,000 students at 104 different locations, from Troy to New York City, will be analyzed and posted on the “A Day in the Life of the Hudson & Harbor” website. This annual event, now in its 17th year, is part of DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, which is sponsored by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.
The Hudson River is not just a river—it is a tidal estuary. The estuary makes up the lower half of the Hudson River, spanning 153 miles from the tip of the Battery to the Troy Dam. The river experiences dramatic changes in salinity, circulation patterns, tidal ranges, river width and water depth, fish species, macro invertebrate communities, and plant life. While the northern half of the river is freshwater fed by snowmelt, groundwater and rain, the southern estuary section is a tidal mix of salty seawater and freshwater.
DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to more than 9.6 million residents, including 8.6 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.